“New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence
is not specifically charged with any formal responsibility for investigating
UFOs… …and neither is any other government department. The Ministry does
however take an active interest in all such reports and within the limitations
of its resources conducts investigations as necessary.”

This
official statement, and quite a few others like it, was somewhat misleading.

In
March, 2017, I accessed Archives New Zealand, which is that country's official
national archive and records repository, and entered a series of keywords into
the “Archway” search engine. Using the keywords “unidentified flying object”,
“ufo”, “unidentified flying objects”, “ufos”, “unknown object”, “unknown
objects”, “flying saucers” and the like, I was surprised to see numerous hits
displayed in the results. Of course, New Zealand’s government has already
released numerous files, so any search results which included these items were
expected. What I didn’t expect was a listing of hitherto unknown files, some of
which are “restricted” from public access for decades to come. I should state
that these unreleased files were not totally unknown to at least a handful
of researchers. British based researcher Isaac Koi, for example, discussed the
existence of these records some time ago on the internet forum Above Top
Secret, and Keith Basterfield mentioned some of the items in various New Zealand
focused blogposts in 2010.

Before
elaborating on these unseen files, it is prudent to summarise New Zealand’s first,
and only, declassification and public release of government files, and,
specifically, how they were released. In December, 2010, the New Zealand
Defence Force (NZDF), who operate under, and answer to, New Zealand’s Ministry
of Defence (MOD), released a number of formally classified files concerning
UFO’s. Only through the determined work of Susan Hansen, the Director of New
Zealand’s “UFO Focus New Zealand Research Network” (UFOCUS NZ), a civilian
based research organisation, did this release occur. Hansen had worked for some
fourteen months, corresponding with Lt. Gen. Jerry Mateparae, the Chief of Defence Force,
NZDF, regarding the mustering, declassification and public release of New
Zealand’s MOD files, some which were nearly sixty years old.

Initially, Lt. Gen. Mateparae stated that it “…would
require a substantial amount of collation, research and consultation to
identify whether any of that information could be released…” and that the NZDF was
not able to deploy staff to undertake the task. Lt. Gen. Jerry Mateparae,
however, also gave his personal viewpoint on the matter, stating:

“In the longer term, recognizing the
ongoing public interest in this topic, I would like to see a summary of
information held about UFO sightings produced, in much the same way as that
which is produced by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence. Given the existing
constraints, however, I cannot predict when that objective could be achieved.”

Months later, due largely to Susan Hansen’s continued efforts, Lt. Gen. Mateparae
announced that the assessing of classified UFO files by NZDF staff had begun.
In a December, 2009 letter, Lt. Gen. Mateparae stated:

“I am pleased to be able to inform
you that two NZDF officers have begun the task of assessing classified files
held in relation to this topic, with a view to declassification. I would expect
that files which are transferred to Archives New Zealand would be subject to
extensive embargo periods in terms of access by the general public.”

It
was on the 22nd of December, 2010, that the NZDF finally made available nine files, which
totalled 2101 pages. The files contained records dating from, at the earliest,
1952, and, most recently, 2009. Specifically, the files released were “Air
39/3/3 Volume 1, Parts 1 and 2”, “Flying Saucers”, with a date range
spanning 1952 to 1955; “Air 39/3/3
Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2, “Reports
on UFOs”, with a date range spanning 1956 to 1979; “Air 39/3/3 Volume 3”, “Reports on
UFOs”, with a date range spanning 1979 to 1980; “Air 39/3/3A Volume 1, Parts 1 and 2”, “Reports on UFOs and Ethnology”, with a
date range of 1979 to 1984; “Air
39/3/3 Volume 4”, “Reports on UFOs”, covering 1981 to 1984;
“Air 244/10/1 Volume 1”, “Reports on UFOs” with a date range spanning 1959 to 1983; “Air 1080/6/897 Volume 1”, “Courts Of Enquiry – Investigation of
Unidentified and Radar Sightings East Coast South Island December 1978”, with
a date range spanning from 1978 to 1981; “1630/2 Volume 1”, “Reports
on UFOs and Ethnology”, with a date range spanning 1984 to 1989; and, “1630/2 Volume 2”, “Reports on
UFOs and Ethnology” with a date range spanning 1990 to 2009. Also worth
mentioning is that some of the material in these files was redacted, and thus
not visible.

While
I do not attempt here to give any sort of detailed, historical treatment as to
what these papers contain, it is worth mentioning that most of the records are UFO reports, of variable value, submitted
by members of New Zealand’s public, and, general enquiries regarding the New
Zealand government’s official stance on the UFO issue.

Most,
but certainly not all.

A
significant fraction of the material, in fact, comprises of internal government
correspondence and enquiry, and it is most certainly not all MOD–generated. Firstly,
the material that is of MOD
provenance includes papers originating from such entities as the Secretary of
Defence; the Minister of Defence; the Chief of the Defence Staff; the Chief of
the Air Staff, RNZAF; Headquarters, Air Defence, RNZAF; the Deputy Director of
Air Intelligence, RNZAF; the Director of Operations, RNZAF; and the Deputy Director
of Service Intelligence, to name a few. Secondly, the material on file which is not of MOD provenance, includes
papers originating from such entities as the Director of Civil Aviation, Civil
Aviation Branch, Air Department; the Minister for Civil Aviation; the Deputy
Director of Operations, Air Traffic Control, Ministry of Transport; the
Director–General of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; the
Joint Intelligence Bureau; the Commissioner of Police, Police National Headquarters;
the Director of the New Zealand Meteorological Service; and the Director of
Carter Observatory.

Thus,
it is established that numerous areas within New Zealand’s government, as
demonstrated in these nine released MoD files, have had at least some involvement in the UFO problem.
What, then, can we ascertain regarding the unreleased
files? And how can they be declassified and released? All government files held
by Archives New Zealand are indexed with metadata, which includes the title of
the file, an item identification number, a code attached to the original
controlling agency, a series number, an accession code, a box and item number,
a record number, and various other pieces of information. Also, all files are
listed as either being “Open Access”, “Restricted Access” or “Restrictions May
Apply”. Unsurprisingly, an “Open Access” file can be made available to anyone,
while a “Restricted Access” file is still in the legal custody of the original
controlling agency, and, thus, unavailable. Such “Restricted Access” files are
listed with a “Restrictions Expire” date which must be surpassed before automatic
availability can occur. Steps can be taken, however, to have such files
assessed and released earlier. Finally, files where “Restrictions May Apply”
are releasable, but a final review of the item is required in case it contains
sensitivities not noticed previously. These issues are important when
evaluating the numerous unreleased UFO files listed within the Archives.

The
first file of note, which should have
been released in 2010, is titled “Intelligence
– Defence – Unidentified Sightings”. The record number for this item is
“244/1/7” and the date range spans from 1963 to 1976. The current controlling
agency of the file is the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), but the original controlling agency, presumably,
will be either a top–echelon division of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), or, one
of New Zealand’s armed forces branches. Traditionally, New Zealand’s defence
apparatus has, like most nations, always included an Army, Navy and Air Force.
Either way, the file metadata gives no clue as to its origin. Moreover, as
noted, this file is clearly a MoD item of some
sort, and the NZDF is listed as the most recent controlling entity, so the
notion that the NZDF released all of
its UFO files in 2010 is quite incorrect. Having said that, the file is listed
as “Open Access”, so someone in the NZDF has cleared it for release.

Another
unseen file is titled “Political Affairs
– Outer Space – Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)” is indexed as
originating from the Head Office of the New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (MFAT). The record number is “NYP 3/58/13”, and the date
range spans from 1977 to 1982. Thankfully, this particular item, unlike many,
is classed as “Open Access”, which means copies can be made available with
relative ease. MFAT represents New Zealand abroad, and conducts official
communication and business with foreign governments, international
organisations and other overseas bodies. One can only speculate as to what an
MFAT file may contain. One possibility, given the 1977 to 1982 date range, is
that the records relate to a UFO awareness raising initiative at the United
Nations, led by Sir Eric Gairy, the then Prime Minister of Grenada, in the late
1970’s. This effort resulted in a series of plenary meetings and decision
adoptions in late 1977, which culminated in a Special Political Committee
Hearing on the 27th of November, 1978. Finally, “Political Affairs – Outer Space – Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)”
is listed as “Part 1”. This usually means, as can be demonstrated with other
file holdings, that further “parts” were created, or at least planned for.

New
Zealand’s atmospheric and meteorological agencies maintained UFO–related files
too, The first item is titled, “Meteorological Office: Research: Meteorological – Unidentified
Flying Objects”, and its record number is
“42/6/23”. The date range of this file is 1968 to 1984. The originating and
controlling agency for this file is the Head Office of the National Institute
of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited (NIWAR). This quasi–government entity
is described, in government organisational chronologies, as a “…Crown owned
research and consulting company with expertise in water and atmospheric
research”. The file is listed as “Open Access”. This is interesting, as the
NIWAR was engaged in meteorological and atmospheric study, so any evaluation or
assessment of the UFO issue by competent scientists is obviously valuable to
researchers. Also, like other New Zealand UFO files, this item is listed as
being “Part 1”, which implies a continuation of the file well beyond the mid–1980’s.
No more “parts”, however, are listed when performing archival searches. As for
the contents, one hopes that NIWAR conducted a reasonable degree of primary
research into the UFO issue, possibly studying unknown cases, and dealing
directly with other New Zealand agencies. More likely, however, is that the file
contains low–level sighting reports, collections of local newspaper articles,
and other mundane items. Previous experience suggests the contents of “Meteorological Office: Research: Meteorological –
Unidentified Flying Objects” is somewhere in the middle.

Another
file, presumably of the same ilk, is “Public Weather
Service – Flying Saucers And Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)”. The record number is “2/13”, and the date range is
1956 to 1988. The controlling agency for the file is the New
Zealand Meteorological Service (NZMS), but judging by the title of the file, it
was specifically a Public Weather Service (PWS) record. The PWS was one of
three sub–components of the NZMS. Government organisational chronologies state
that the primary function of the NZMS was to “…provide and
advise meteorological support… …for New Zealand and the islands of the South
Pacific Ocean”. The file is “Open Access”, and does not appear to be one of
several “Parts” as is often the case. One can only guess what the file contains,
but it is quite likely that the PWS, and its parent agency, the NZMS, acted as
a clearing house for UFO reports, as was the situation in Australia.
Historically, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) received UFO reports from
the public, and occasionally from other government agencies. The BOM was not
explicitly charged with handling UFO cases, so, typically, they would be
forwarded to the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) Directorate of Air Force
Intelligence (DAFI) or the Department of Air (DOA). Whatever the contents, “Public Weather Service – Flying Saucers And
Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)” will contain records not seen for
decades.

The
infamous Kaikoura UFO incident is the subject of a file titled “Miscellaneous Files – UFO [Unidentified
Flying Object] Affair (1978 Kaikoura Incident) –The Truth Is Out There”.
With a one year date range of 1979 to 1979, the file was the provenance of the
Magnetic and Geophysical Observatories, based in Christchurch, and the
controlling agency is listed similarly as the Geophysical Observatory. This
agency is indexed as “…undertaking research into upper atmosphere physics
through data collected from remote ionosonde stations…”. Oddly, there is no
record number assigned to the file. Its access status is “Open”. Obviously it
deals with the “Kaikoura Lights”
radar–visual UFO case that occurred between the 21st and 30th of December,
1978. These events involved airborne–visual and airborne radar features, plus
ground–based radar confirmation. Some of the events were filmed by an
Australian television crew on route to New Zealand. The Royal
New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and the Department of Scientific and Industrial
Research (DSIR), as well as Carter Observatory, investigated the events in
early 1979. Their efforts can be found in New Zealand’s most in–depth and
classified UFO file, which was released, in part, in 2010. That file is titled “Courts Of Enquiry – Investigation of Unidentified
and Radar Sightings East Coast South Island December 1978”. Ultimately, the
visual sightings were attributed to lights mounted on squid boats which were
presumed to be reflecting off low cloud cover, as well as a handful of bright
stars and planets. The primary radar hits were attributed to spurious returns
created by unusually intense atmospheric conditions at the time. Whatever the
conclusions, it is apparent that the newly found “Miscellaneous Files – UFO [Unidentified Flying Object] Affair (1978 Kaikoura
Incident) –The Truth Is Out There” has not been openly studied.

There
are three files of New Zealand Police, National Headquarters provenance. They
are, “37/21/1, Part 1”, “Support Services
– Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO), General”; “37/19/3, Part 1”, “Support Services – Unidentified Flying
Objects – General”; and “37/21/1, Part 1”, “Support Services – Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO), General”.
All three files come with a date range spanning the year of 1972 only. The fact
that all three files appeared to be nearly identical made me wonder if, in
fact, just one file existed, and there had been a clerical error in listing it.
However, each file does a unique record number, so each file must be unique.Access
to these records is restricted until 2072.

As for
the contents of these files, one can only speculate. It is possible that they
relate to a series of space debris re–entries which occurred near the town of Ashburton,
on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island in early 1972. As is widely
known, several metal “space balls” were recovered by farmers in the region, and
naturally a few federal agencies, including the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
(DSIR) and the Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB), showed significant interest in
the discoveries, primarily from a technical and safety. Ultimately, the objects
proved to be titanium gas pressure vessels from the Soviet Cosmos 482
spacecraft. American agencies, including the State Department, the Defence
Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Foreign
Technology Division (FTD) were equally as interested, and designated the events
as “Moon Dust” unknown, or, initially unidentifiable, crashed space junk. These
agencies relied on the United ’States small Defence Attaché in Wellington
(USDAO–WEL) and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) for their
information, some of which has been released under America’s Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) to researchers. What was less known is that the New
Zealand Police were involved in handling the downed space junk. In an 15th of January, 2011 article, titled “Government Report On ‘Space Balls’ Released”, authored by Charlie Gates for “The Press” section of an online news service known loosely as “Stuff”, farmer Denis O’Sullivan, who
found one of the objects, is quoted as saying:

“I picked it up and carried it back
to the truck. It was sitting on my lap in the truck on the way back to the
farm. We called the police and the first thing they did was get everyone to
stay away from the scene and then a policeman hung his wristwatch over it to
see if it was radioactive. I thought, ‘It's a bit late for that, it has been
sitting on my lap on the way back’… …We thought it was an April Fool’s joke to
start with. The police came and took it away. It caused quite a stir at the
time. They treated it with great care because they were afraid it was
radioactive.”

Possibly related to the above Police
holdings is a file titled “Unidentified
Objects of Foreign Origin”. The record number is “48/65/2” and the date range
is listed as 1972 to 1973. Also, the file is listed as “Part 1”. This implies
that there may be more “parts” to this file, but none are listed in the
Archival system. Also, the file is falls in a
“Defence Documents” accession category, and is a considered “Restrictions May
Apply” item. Importantly, the agency responsible for creating this file was the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). The DSIR provided
scientific and technical services to the New Zealand government before being
dissolved and reorganised in 1992. It is likely that this file relates to the
1972 space debris re–entries discussed previously. Both the date range and the
title of the file are the two main giveaways. Moreover, we know that the DSIR
was involved in assessing pieces of crashed space junk shortly after they were
discovered. DSIR’s involvement in space debris analysis came to light in the
New Zealand press, but also through documents released by America’s Defence
Intelligence Agency (DIA) and State Department. These two agencies produced “Moon
Dust” and “UFO” reports which were released in the late 1970’s through
America’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). For example, a Confidential 24th
of October, 1973, State Department signal, sent from the US embassy in
Wellington to the Secretary of State (SECSTATE), reads, in part:

“PRESS
STORY DATED OCTOBER 20 SPECULATES THAT CYLINDRICAL OBJECT FOUND NEAR KUROW, NEW
ZEALAND MAY BE LINKED TO SPHERES REPORTED REF B. PRESS DESCRIPTION, BASICALLY
CONFIRMED BY DSIR, IS THAT OBJECT IS TWO FEET LONG AND SEVEN INCHES DIAMETER.
EXTENSIVELY SCARRED BY HEAT AND PARTS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN OUT BY INTERIOR
EXPLOSION. ONE END BOLTED TO MAIN COMPONENT BY AT LEAST TWENTY FOUR BOLTS
AROUND PERIMETER OF SCALLOPED FLANGE. THERE IS OPEN CONICAL PROJECTION AT THIS
END WITH TWO SMALLER ATTACHMENTS WHICH APPARENTLY WERE CONNECTED TO OTHER
UNITS. DSIR CHRISTCHURCH STUDYING OBJECT AND WILL FORWARD TO DSIR WELLINGTON
ABOUT OCTOBER 31. EMBOFF HAS BEEN INVITED EXAMINE OBJECT AND OBTAIN DSIR
PRELIMINARY REPORT AT THAT TIME.”

If “Unidentified Objects of Foreign Origin” is not related to crashed space junk, then one is bound to ask if the
file relates to debris from a downed aircraft of unknown origin, or a meteoric
event. Failing those alternatives, the only thing remaining is something even
more mysterious.

Yet another file which presumably
relates to unexpected space re–entries, is “Administration
File – Unidentified Flying Object Seen To Explode In Western Sky”. The record
number is “0070/3” and the date range is 1983 to 1983. The controlling agency is listed as the Timaru Police
Department. The title of the file
would indicate something along the lines of a meteoric bolide or space debris
re–entry. The date range, however, certainly rules out in relationship to the
1970’s space junk events. Failing something space borne, an unsolved aircraft
explosion could be the subject of the file, though one would assume that New
Zealand’s Director of Civil Aviation would be in control of the
file, not the Timaru Police Department. Unfortunately,
the item is categorised as “Restricted Access”, so obtaining a copy will be slow,
if possible at all.

Going beyond the files I have thus far highlighted,
there may be far more material held
by New Zealand’s government not readily obvious to the researcher. If the experience
in the United States is anything to go by, there is every possibility that
important UFO records will be found in non–UFO files. To be sure, researchers
in America are now accessing 1940’s and 1950’s–era military records which are
indexed under “unidentified aircraft reports”, “unknown aircraft reports”,
“intelligence sightings”, “security sightings”, “foreign aircraft”, “aerial
weapons” and so forth. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA),
in Washington DC, and the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Air Force History
and Research Agency (AFHRA), in Alabama, literally contain hundreds of the
thousands of pages of such records, which are shelved in the operational or
intelligence sections of squadron or wing–level holdings. The vast majority of these records, of
course, have absolutely nothing to do with UFO’s, and are merely reports
foreign or hostile aircraft, along with varying administrative assessments, security
evaluations and other clerical material. However, a small percentage of these
records, which still equates to thousands of pages, most certainly contain
papers which would be considered UFO–related.

Even a very basic search of New Zealand’s
archives contain possible leads. For example, a file titled “Northern Military
District Auckland – Air And Naval Co–Operation Sighting Reports And
Unidentified Aircraft – Aircraft Call Signs” would be a potential source of UFO
reports or evaluation. Its record number of the file is “DAZ 205/9/S/4”. No
date range is listed. The original controlling agency was the 2nd
New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and the is part of a large collection of
records described as “Unit War Diaries, Unit Records and Supplementary Material”.
Further, this collection was “…collected by the New Zealand Army Archives
Section during the Second World War…”. Its access status is listed as “Open”.

Of
possibly more interest are two Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) files created
during World War Two. Their titles are “Intelligence
– Intelligence re Aircraft – Reports Of Suspicious Sightings – March 1942 –
August 1943” and “Intelligence –
Intelligence re Aircraft – Reports of Suspicious Sightings – August 1942 –
November 1944”. Both have the same record number, which is “08/19/1”, so,
thus, presumably make up “Part 1” and “Part 2” of essentially the same file.
The date range of both items is 1942 to 1944, and their access status is listed
as “Open”. The controlling agency is simply listed as “Navy Department”.
However, the files are part of a group of records described as “…sensitive Navy
general correspondence” related to “…operations intelligence, personnel,
security and the defence of New Zealand…”. Whether these items contain any
UFO–related records, be they actual sighting reports or intelligence
assessments, is entirely unknown, but it would be no surprise whatsoever if
UFO’s were mentioned in some capacity.

As I
highlighted at the beginning of this report, I highlighted a statement made by Wing Commander S.
D. White to British researcher Timothy Good. Wing Commander White stated that
the Ministry of Defence was “…not specifically charged with any formal
responsibility for investigating UFOs…” and “…neither is any other government
department…”. This is only partially correct. It is true that New Zealand’s
Ministry of Defence (MoD), nor any other government department, did not run a
largescale and properly funded UFO investigation desk, but there was, for
example, an official investigative committee formed in the early 1970’s. Released
in 2010, “Air 244/10/1 Volume 1”, “Reports on UFOs” contains dozens of pages of administrative
memoranda penned by a group called the “Unidentified Flying Object (UFO)
Investigating Committee”. The scientific and technical calibre of the group
speaks for itself. In August, 1972, for instance, the Chairman of the committee
was the MoD’s Deputy Director of Service Intelligence, and the Secretary was a RNZAF
Squadron Leader. The members included Dr E. I. Robertson, the Director–General
of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR); Dr. D. C.
Thompson, of the Meteorological Service; Squadron Leader A. H. Milestone, the
Deputy Director of Operations, Air Traffic Control, within the Ministry of
Transport; and Mr. W. J. H. Fisher, the Director of Carter Observatory. So the
notion that no one within the MoD was charged with UFO investigation was misleading.
It must be said that the committee never really found hard evidence for UFO’s,
but that’s not the point. Rather, the group maintained a passing interest, and
decided the problem was a loosely scientific matter, rather than a specific
defence problem. The committee was wound up on November 4th, 1976.

As I have
painstakingly aimed to elaborate on, a significant number of unseen UFO files have
come to light, and some of them were maintained by agencies not known to be
involved at all. The question now is one of access. On the 6th of
April, 2017, I emailed the New Zealand Archives with a list of files I was
interested in. On the 21st of April, 2017, Research Services Archivist
Nik MacDonald–Washburn, replied, and explained the process and costs associated
with file retrieval, censoring and digitisation, some of which is fairly straightforward.
Unfortunately, many of the files remain in the legal custody of the original
controlling agency, or whoever inherited them. Files indexed as “Restrictions
May Apply” or “Restricted” need to be carefully looked at, and the researcher
is tasked with approaching each individual agency to ask what can and can’t be
released. This, like most government documents research, will be a slow
process. The lesson learned here, yet again, is that no matter where
researchers look, there are seemingly always hitherto unknown records, often
classified, languishing on government shelves.

5 comments:

Hi Paul,interested by your comments; any possibility Sue Hansen can ask her previous 'contacts' in the NZAF for an update/release of documents archived since those made available in 2010?? Bryan Dickeson